Sonya Apa Temata

Sonya Apa Temata is a takataapui human rights activist and nurse of Cook Islander, Māori and Tahitian descent. She specialises in advocacy for the LGBT+ community in Oceania. She has spoken out about how the criminalisation of gay men is a legacy of British colonialism in the Pacific.

In 2020 Temata organised a petition in support of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the Cooks Islands, which was presented by the Te Tiare Association to the Government of the Cook Islands, who were considering repealing the law.

Temata is a former board member of Auckland Pride.

Awards

 * Winner - Pacific Health Volunteer Individual Awards (2018)